Little Gem Salad

creamy lemon dressing, olive crostini, manchego

STARS

An ode to the mighty Caesar salad. Replace mundane romaine with crisp, sweet little gem lettuce and serve it with a creamy lemon dressing, olive croutons and shaved Manchego cheese for a mellow, slightly nutty finish.

Difficulty Level

Total Time: 40 minutes

Active Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Olive Crostini

20 crostini
½ cup olive oil
½ cup mixed olives, sliced
4 cups little gem lettuce leaves, trimmed
½ cup shaved Manchego cheese

Creamy Lemon Dressing

1 head garlic
2 tablespoons grated pecorino romano cheese
1 lemon, juiced
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

2 heads little gem lettuce
½ cup shaved Manchego cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a bowl, toss the crostini with the olive oil and chopped olives. Arrange on a baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes, until lightly brown.

Increase the oven to 400°F.

Wrap the garlic in tin foil, drizzle with olive oil, and roast until very tender and fragrant, about 20 minutes. Remove the roasted garlic cloves from the head and place in a blender, along with all other dressing ingredients except the oil. Purée until smooth, adding water if necessary. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil until emulsified. Adjust the seasoning

Toss the lettuce in the lemon dressing, top with manchego and serve with olive crostini.